UK? Music/Arts and environment?

Subject: UK? Music/Arts and environment?
From: Nemesis
Date: 29 Oct 01 - 04:02 AM

Dear UK Mudcatters (and beyond),

Our club is moving in another direction, aside from music (because no buggar comes). We are linking up with a newly formed arts group in the town and organising the town's Fringe festival next year (this year was the town's first festival, never mind Fringe) and hoping to promote 'The Arts' throughout the year.

I believe we should also aim to have 'environmental' and 'ethnic minority inclusion' policies. Which basically means I have to write them. I know about the work of the Commonground organisation (www.commonground.org.uk) who link the environment and the arts - does anybody know of any more similar UK organisations that might give me a clue?

In a nutshell basically, no buggar comes to our club, apart from outter town musicians, because we've had over 100 years of solid Conservative local government which has repressed and steered the entire (now 100,000) town population away from creative or individualistic thinking. (and thus anybody with any get-and-go has got up and gone). Geographically isolated, today's generation know nothing of 'the arts' and believe the sum of a good time is drinking vast quantities and then vomiting, urinating and vandalising their way home. Strangely enough :) even the Conservative council are getting twitchy and us ol' 'hippies' are starting to realise it's okay to come out of the closet and get creative. It's a big task - especially as nothing like this has ever been attempted before (well, it has and it has been institutionally and collectively frowned upon).

Any ideas are VERY WELCOME!

Thanks,Hille.

Subject: RE: UK? Music/Arts and environment?
From: GUEST,MC Fat
Date: 29 Oct 01 - 04:20 AM

Would like to be informed of your progress. I too am at the discussion stage of doing a 'fringe' as part of an established Community Festival in an area of Sheffield.As I say we are only at the 'is it possible' stage.

Subject: RE: UK? Music/Arts and environment?
From: sian, west wales
Date: 29 Oct 01 - 04:46 AM

The Arts Council (or Regional Arts Council if you have one) should have sample Equal Opps policies; also the Commission for Racial Equality. For environment, you might try the Countryside Agency (assuming you live in England?) although you might take a look at Littoral (Now is that going to work? I'm always nervous about this hi-tech stuff!)

sian

Subject: RE: UK? Music/Arts and environment?
From: sian, west wales
Date: 29 Oct 01 - 04:47 AM

Hmmm. Got something wrong I think. Anyway, the URL is www.littoral.org.uk

sian

Subject: RE: UK? Music/Arts and environment?
From: pinkfiddle
Date: 29 Oct 01 - 05:11 AM

There will definitely be a Regional Arts Boardif you're based in England and the website for all the RABs is at www.arts.org.uk. Sorry can't do blue clickies. It would probably be worth speaking to your Music Officer or someone in the Policy and Resources Department where there will be someone devoted to Cultural Diversity and Equal Opportunities. 2002 is the year of cultural diversity in the Arts Boards so they will definitely be interested in any events that relate to this policy.

Cheers and good luck pf

Subject: RE: UK? Music/Arts and environment?
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Oct 01 - 08:06 AM

...over 100 years of solid Conservative local government...has repressed and steered the entire town population away from creative or individualistic thinking...

This is a joke, right?

Subject: RE: UK? Music/Arts and environment?
From: Snuffy
Date: 29 Oct 01 - 08:51 AM

If only it were.

Subject: RE: UK? Music/Arts and environment?
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Oct 01 - 08:51 AM

Hille,

Get in touch with the EFDSS htp://www.efdss.org They have a series of policies including equal opportunities, child protection etc. for use in their own activities and for the guidance of others holding folk events.

Talk to the Chief Officer, Tim Walker.

Mitch

Subject: RE: UK? Music/Arts and environment?
From: mooman
Date: 29 Oct 01 - 09:00 AM

Unfortunately Guest....no it is not a joke. I know the town where Hille lives and she is absolutely correct.

Creative and individualistic thinking there is largely restricted to the profit that can be made from the stockmarket, gross speculation on houses such that locals or other mere mortals can hardly afford to live there, whether to buy the latest Mercedes, Jaguar or BMW or which marque of four-wheel drive vehicle it will be necessary to buy to take the children the 2km to school or collect the groceries from the local supermarket.

I sympathise fully Hille, having once lived in a similar town and tried to run a folk club there for 6 years (which I'm glad to say is still struggling along due to the dedication of a few organizers and regulars). Can't think of anything right regarding arts funding now but I'll get back to you if anything comes to mind.

mooman

Subject: RE: UK? Music/Arts and environment?
From: Skipjack K8
Date: 29 Oct 01 - 09:41 AM

A tenner says some eejit will expose this thread as another Mudcat allegory in the next ten messages, Moo!

Skipjack

Subject: RE: UK? Music/Arts and environment?
From: mooman
Date: 29 Oct 01 - 10:12 AM

...most likely Greg!

moo

Subject: RE: UK? Music/Arts and environment?
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 29 Oct 01 - 10:37 AM

Try this= http://www.arts.org.uk/directory/regions/york/index.html

Subject: RE: UK? Music/Arts and environment?
From: Nemesis
Date: 29 Oct 01 - 02:40 PM

Some good stuff here guys (also looking at the 1 Nov thread with interest - as we live by the sea)

MC Fat: Everything is possible - miracles we can do at once, the impossible just takes a little longer.... this year we laid on an entire Art Trail around the town, 20 odd events in someone's big back garden (which we can't do again as the PEL/Environment Officer made rather a lot of noise about it (ironically!), and a couple extra versions of the club... trouble is the autonomous body aligned to the Borough Council, having put us all up to it, then didn't - as promised - publicise it, at all, despite having 270 quid earmarked to do so. We then tried sending them an invoice for a contribution towards some of the £1,000 or we personally spent between us + £10 to them for us to become members - their decision was that it was "not appropriate". Just do it. Things come out of the woodwork..

Music officer? We don't even have an Arts Development Officer!! There is an Arts Manager at the local theatre (which now only has pantomimes at Christmas) and we've written to him 3 times and he has just ignored us.

Hi, Mooman: yes, sadly this is the town where Oscar Wilde wrote "The Importance of Being Earnest" - do we have anything to commememorate this? No - apathy and "Ooh-er don't want to think about that scandalous man..." Stil, we did have Lonnie Donegan here last week - a rare gem to relish amongst the "Mighty Wurlitzer organ" concerts :(

Sympathy, advice, personal experience is REAALLY welcome as we are biting off an awful lot to chew - in fact things that the Arts Development officer SHOULD be doing - if they existed...

John-in Hull - great link, lots of stuff to digest off-line, thanks for that!

Subject: RE: UK? Music/Arts and environment?
From: Nemesis
Date: 29 Oct 01 - 03:59 PM

Sian - that was great link too, thank you very much!!

Subject: RE: UK? Music/Arts and environment?
From: Cllr
Date: 29 Oct 01 - 05:07 PM

...over 100 years of solid Conservative local government...has repressed and steered the entire town population away from creative or individualistic thinking...

Am I being trolled or what?

Cllr

Subject: RE: UK? Music/Arts and environment?
From: Nemesis
Date: 29 Oct 01 - 08:22 PM

NO, sad but true. About 1888 the town was a such heaving den of iniquity that the Salvation Army marched in and attempted to impose temperance, etc on the local population, nicknamed porkbolters (a name which now lives on a local anarchist journal). The 'Skeleton Army' comprised of locals fought back so fiercely that the Riot Act was read and an entire platoon of infantry from Brighton came over to restore order - and things have never been the same since!!

Subject: RE: UK? Music/Arts and environment?
From: Nemesis
Date: 29 Oct 01 - 10:38 PM

Now you really think I'm trolling or whatever that thing is :)

Subject: RE: UK? Music/Arts and environment?
From: pinkfiddle
Date: 05 Nov 01 - 11:40 AM

Hille,

where do you live?

pf

Subject: RE: UK? Music/Arts and environment?
From: Nemesis
Date: 06 Nov 01 - 04:41 AM

Worthing, Sussex - (or Stiff City on the Costa Geriatrica). And the Salvation Army still have a 'divine' right to play in particular spot on the seafront!

Tank Girl's creator still lives in town, but Keith Emerson left years ago (allegedly :)!

Subject: RE: UK? Music/Arts and environment?
From: pinkfiddle
Date: 06 Nov 01 - 06:09 AM

Hi Hille

I've just checked the Regional Arts Board website at www.arts.org.uk to get you the details for your local arts board and the names/telephone numbers/email addresses of the people who might be able to help you. The arts board that covers Sussex in its remit is called South East Arts. Rather than publish them here I will PM you with their details. I hope they can help you.

Thanks pf

Subject: RE: UK? Music/Arts and environment?
From: Nemesis
Date: 06 Nov 01 - 07:08 PM

Dear pf,

I've just PM'd you back after getting the info - but thanks here as well!! (What stars these Mudcatters are!)

Hille